A Selective, Cell-Permeable Optical Probe for Hydrogen Peroxide in Living Cells

We present the synthesis, properties, and biological applications of Peroxyfluor-1 (PF1), a new type of optical probe for intracellular imaging of hydrogen peroxide in living biological samples. PF1 utilizes a boronate deprotection mechanism to provide unprecedented selectivity and optical dynamic range for detecting H2O2 in aqueous solution over similar reactive oxygen species including superoxide, nitric oxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and hydroxyl radical. We further demonstrate the value of this reagent for biological applications by imaging changes in H2O2 in living mammalian cells.